How can I manage product variations and how do I add a text entry field?

An authorisation dialog is preventing inspection of the site.

The plugin WC Fields Factory can be used to create the two custom fields. The values entered will feed through to cart and checkout.

Hi, thanks so much for your reply. I forgot about the password protection! It’s:

username: littlefox
password: 3lksjlk3e3″!

I’d really appreciate any advice that you can give as to the best way to achieve what I need. Thank you for the tip re the plugin.

Kathryn

The credentials don’t work for me. Maybe you have the site IP restricted.

Hi, the password protection should have been removed now if you would still be kind enough to have a look for me?

Many thanks.

Kathryn

I see it. I count 8 attributes and calculate 1792 variations. I think you already appreciate that’s not very manageable. There is also the issue of ensuring customers do not experience the unavailable message if they select combinations that are not available.

There are techniques you can consider to reduce the number of variations. Firstly, in respect of the tilt wand and control position attributes, these do not seem to affect cost, so you can use the “Any” attribute option when making variations. For example, if I sell T-shirts in red and blue with a choice of 2 logos, that’s 2 x 2 = 4 variations. But if my variations are red/any and blue/any, that’s only 2 variations not 4. The method will scale up. This only works if in my example, the logos would have to be all the same price. This method would reduce the number of variations by a factor of 4 to 448. Still a large number. You could also instead make a couple of custom radio button fields using WC Fields Factory plugin to do the same job, and remove those two attributes. Either of these methods would be an easy improvement.

The next attributes to look at are colours, site guidewires and fitting service. These carry an add-on cost. You could use WC Fields Factor but adding cost for some selections requires a little code. This is explained in the documentation and there are code examples. If you are not comfortable with code, you can use an add-on plugin:

https://booster.io/shop/booster-for-woocommerce-plus-plugin/
(Free or premium. Free is limited to 3 products.)
https://codecanyon.net/item/woocommerce-extra-product-options/7908619
https://codecanyon.net/item/product-options-for-woocommerce-wp-plugin/7973927
https://www.woothemes.com/products/product-add-ons/

With these you can set up radio button fields with or without cost. The premium ones can be conditional. This will reduce attributes to width, height and slat width, say 56 variations, which is practical.

I’m not certain of the numbers. I aim to show techniques you can consider.

Hi, thank you so much for your reply. As you can probably tell using Woo Commerce with this level of product options/variables is not something that I’ve done before. I’ve just check in the admin and with the options as you can currently see on the front end there are 224 variations. So do you think that if I used one of the plugins that you’ve mentioned above I could add the extra options that I need for the colours without adding too many more variations?

You’re welcome to have a look at the admin if that would help at all to see how I have currently set it up – the site is currently in development.

Thank you again.

Kathryn

No, I wouldn’t say that using one of the plugins would allow you to add the extra variations. I’m suggesting you rethink how you do this product, then start again with the variations. Leave your existing product alone and make a new product to work on.

Start with Booster (free). Enable the Add-ons module which is in the Products section. Select add-ons on a per-product basis. Then go to the product edit page, find the new Add-ons section and create 4 pairs of radio buttons for attributes 5, 6, 7 & 8. Set up attributes for 1, 2, 3 and probably colour. Re-make the variations. You will end up with 4 dropdowns and 4 pairs of radio buttons.

Doing this should give you an introduction into how custom fields and add-ons work and look, and then you can decide what to do from there. Booster free might be enough for you.

The forum guidelines don’t encourage volunteers logging onto someone’s admin – its a security risk!

Hi, I have downloaded the Booster plugin. I’m just trying to find the ‘add-ons on a per-product basis’ option. I’ll have a hunt around and try to test it out. I’m still a bit confused as to how this could work with all the measurement options that I have. Do I need to create one product then create variations for each of the basic measurement prices for that product (of which there are 28) and then use the Booster pack to create the extra prices depending on side guidewire,fitting or colour choices?

Thank you for all your help and patience!

Kathryn

Yes, make variations for the width, drop and slat width sizes and use the add-ons for tilt wand position, control position, guidewires and fitting. I don’t really understand the colour restriction for this product, that could be a variation rather than an add-on.

Use add-ons for a simple extra cost, use variations where the vendor has worked out the cost to some complex formula of their own.

Using Booster: Addons

Dashboard > Plugins > Search plugins, “Booster” – find “Booster for WooCommerce”, Install, Activate

Dashboard > Plugins, find Booster in the list, click “Settings”

Look at the horizontal menu, just under the tabs, and click “Products”

Second horizontal menu, near the top, and click “Product Add-ons”

Product Addons = checked, “Enable module”

Enable per Product Addons = checked, “When enabled, this will add new “Booster: Product Addons” meta box to each product’s edit page.”

“Save Changes”

Dashboard > Products, find or create your test product in the list of products, “Edit”

Screen Options, ensure “Booster: Product Addons” is checked so the section will show on the page.

Find the “Booster: Product Addons” section, set Enabled = “Yes”, Number = 4, “Update” the page.

You should now be able to see Product Addon metaboxes. Eg:

Labels:
No fitting service
Fitting service

Prices:
0
49.99

Note: one value per line. You don’t need the price as part of the label because the price will be shown.

Hi, so I’ve got a bit further and followed your instructions (thank you) and created 4 product add-ons on the product page. However, when you view the product here: https://www.aquafurnishings.co.uk/product/aluminium-blind-test/ the toggle options don’t seem to be adding a cost on and also if you make the mistake a clicking the wrong one you can’t click it off! I’m also wondering for the tilt wand position and control position I could just add them as normal attributes as they don’t have any extra cost implications.

For the colours these are the colours that are available:

Available in 15mm & 25mm slat widths:

code colour

TR0075 Taupe
TR0950 Silver brushed
TR0017 Silver gloss
TR0058 Silver – Mat
TR0061 Caramel
TR0285 Cream mid sheen
TR0757 Cream pearl
TR0065 Light mushroom mid sheen
TR0001 White/grey gloss

Colours available in 25mm only

TR8003 Charcoal mat (Extra ￡25.00)
TR0255 Rustic red mid sheen (Extra ￡25.00)
TR0005 Mint green gloss
TR5077 Denim blue mid sheen
TR0258 Navy blue mid shen
TR4031 Plum mid sheen (Extra ￡25.00)
TR1901 Copper mat

Maybe I could add those in as variations?

Thank you.

Kathryn

I thought there were three colours! I now think the colours have to be variations, not add-ons. So, I’ve worked out the number of variations as follows:

width x drop x slats x colour
4 x 7 x 1 x 9 = 252
+
4 x 7 x 1 x 16 = 448
Total: 252 + 448 = 700 variations

I’ve heard of a product with 700 variations, but it seems a lot to me. I think they will mostly be different prices so that’s going to be tedious to setup. Changing anything will be a nightmare.

Consider making the 15 and 25 slats as separate products, then you can use radio buttons for the colours. Each product will have 4 x 7 = 28 variations, which is manageable, and 5 sets of radio buttons. 1 set each for colour, wand, cord, guide wires and fitting. Your client may not like it, but in my view it results in something achievable and manageable with the technology available. Your product description can contain a link between the two products. Variations are to get a rethink in a future WooCommerce version so its not forever.

Regarding the buttons, you need at least two in a group so you can click something on or off. For example:

Labels:
No fitting service
Fitting service

Prices:
0
49.99

Colours will have either 9 or 16 buttons.

You can style the buttons with colour if required, though its a bit fiddly. I can have a go when you’re a bit further on. Otherwise you’ll need one of the premium plugins.

If you prefer, tilt and wand can be attributes as long as you use the “Any” setting when setting up the variations so as not to increase the number of variations. Note in this case you can’t use the easy “Create variations from all attributes” in the drop down. You’ll have to make each one of the 28 variations manually.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Majeed Raza.

Thank you so much for all your help! I’ll plough on and follow your advice. I might come back to you again when I’ve managed to get a bit further if you don’t mind taking another look at that point.

Thanks again.

Kathryn